Smart Meter Pros & Cons?

Richie-from-the-Boro

GingerBob wrote: »

I don't want that. I don't want to pay a large amount in winter and less in summer. I want the thing smoothed out over a year, or perhaps six months, even if it does mean I'm sometimes in credit. That's what I want. How do I get that with "smart" meters?

- That's been around for decades, you already have it, its called CAC ÷ 12 ≈ £ per month DD
- a CAC ÷ 12 ≈ £ per month DD would be as accurate as the frequency of your self supplied meter readings
- you can change the ≈ to a very precise ≡ £ per month DD by having the smart meter read your monthly / daily / per second usage

FOREVER21

My concern is until smart meters are standardised across all energy suppliers, what happens if I have a smart meter installed by company A and then change suppliers , if companyB use a different type of smart meter will this mean the smart meter needs to be changed again.

As many consumers change suppliers regularly won't this add to the overall cost?I have nothing against smart meters but until a common standard is introduced I think I will pass and continue to give my own on line monthly readings.

GingerBob_3

sacsquacco wrote: »

Smarts can detect when the lower cover is removed, error codes are sent back to the servers. It was nt one MP but a vote which led the idiots to allow refusals. Anyone having a moan on here about smarts sending wifi signals through their brains is an absolute first class hypocrite, even as they type their complaints ( whilst occasionally glancing at their smart phone) and their "smart TV ), they are getting a much bigger dose of radio waves.

Ah, so you're talking about meter tampering, not meter bypassing. I guess the pros go in for the latter, which persumably can't be deteced by "smart" meters.

Ok Gingerbob, now YOU explain to me how the UKs head of Brit Gas Revenue protection is coming out with "fatuous " figure of £30 a year, thats a big word to come out with, come on then back it up ? also your word "miniscule " to describe the vast amount of bypassing. (1 house in 44 was reported by the Daily Mail growing cannabis ) , did nt you read my quote of "7 out 20 were bypassing in Dundas Rd ?. Do you know I ve just popped out to my Town Centre area and read about 50 British Gas meters and 2 were bypassed, one electric, one gas prepay. My next job now is to email my RPU contact. And dont forget Brit Gas are the best at detecting bypassing , Npower are the worst followed by Eon etc.Brit Gas find approx 80% of the UK total. Shocking figures proving that the others decide not to invest in RPU people because of the millions they would have to spend ( lowering their profits ) and have decided to virtually ignore meter bypassing, houses burning down/blowing up and let us carry the burden of the extra costs, so we pay for their deliberate policy, meantime cannabis farms are absolutely flourishing everywhere. They use approx £75 a day electric to grow their crops so every farm has a bypassed meter(s)

One house in 44 growing cannabis? :rotfl: (Daily Mail :rotfl:)

As for Dundas Road, well maybe. It's clearly not representative of the UK as a whole. The point is, whatever the problem with meter tampering/bypassing and cannabis growing, which the BG man seems to over estimating in the extreme, why should every law abiding citizen have something foisted on them that they may not want as a result of it?

So smart meters would result in a £30 reduction for all of us? Dream on!

[Deleted User]

FOREVER21 wrote: »

My concern is until smart meters are standardised across all energy suppliers, what happens if I have a smart meter installed by company A and then change suppliers , if companyB use a different type of smart meter will this mean the smart meter needs to be changed again.

As many consumers change suppliers regularly won't this add to the overall cost?I have nothing against smart meters but until a common standard is introduced I think I will pass and continue to give my own on line monthly readings.

A good point, It seems to be taking a very long time for "smart switching " to be sorted out.The main smart roll out is only just getting moving by several of the big 6. Brit Gas has been 5 years fitting them, also First Utility. They both use the same meter but they dont switch "smart " I have seen a few EON smarts which use the same meter as the BG mk 2 version. My smart ( I switched recently to Npower ) and it is now a "dumb " meter ( no tariff details or monthly/weekly useage ), but it does operate as a very accurate energy monitor showing reading also

FOREVER21

sacsquacco wrote: »

A good point, It seems to be taking a very long time for "smart switching " to be sorted out.The main smart roll out is only just getting moving by several of the big 6. Brit Gas has been 5 years fitting them, also First Utility. They both use the same meter but they dont switch "smart " I have seen a few EON smarts which use the same meter as the BG mk 2 version. My smart ( I switched recently to Npower ) and it is now a "dumb " meter ( no tariff details or monthly/weekly useage ), but it does operate as a very accurate energy monitor showing reading also

I have followed some of your posts and believed you provided sound, reasonable , advice but now( I switched to Npower) you have blown it for me!

Only joking!

[Deleted User]

GingerBob wrote: »

Ah, so you're talking about meter tampering, not meter bypassing. I guess the pros go in for the latter, which persumably can't be deteced by "smart" meters.


One house in 44 growing cannabis? :rotfl: (Daily Mail :rotfl:)

As for Dundas Road, well maybe. It's clearly not representative of the UK as a whole. The point is, whatever the problem with meter tampering/bypassing and cannabis growing, which the BG man seems to over estimating in the extreme, why should every law abiding citizen have something foisted on them that they may not want as a result of it?

So smart meters would result in a £30 reduction for all of us? Dream on!

Yes, the Mail estimated 200,000 in the UK, and judging how many are reported in my local newspaper this week they are under estimating. I just knocked on a door ( chinese occupier ) in a very respectable area who has just been given 7 years prison for running half a dozen cannabis growing properties including his own large house, in my local home town. Police were seizing his huge flash 4 wheel drive and all other assets. I am not saying smarts will stop the cannabis growing market as the big boys do a clever bypass difficult to do by the average home grower but its bound to cut it right back IF they take any notice of the various error codes sent back..I check BG smarts on a yearly read at moment and so far havent found even one bypassed in 5 years
You are right, Dundas Rd is not representative of the UK. The main bypassing is done in the big inner cities and rougher side of towns. I also work in nice towns like Howden, and Epworth and find very few ( apart from one bloke in Howden whos going to get a RPU check this week ! )

aleph_0

FOREVER21 wrote: »

My concern is until smart meters are standardised across all energy suppliers, what happens if I have a smart meter installed by company A and then change suppliers , if companyB use a different type of smart meter will this mean the smart meter needs to be changed again.

This is a fair concern. Depending on your point of view, the first generation of smart meters can either be classed as a waste of money, or a cost-effective small scale trial.

Most smart meters being fitted now though should be properly smart, in that they'll be compatible with reporting to the national system that is now being built. The idea of a smart meter only working with one company is only a temporary problem.

GingerBob_3

I wonder if you moved to a house with "smart" meters you could force their removal; I hope so. Maybe they would make them "dumb", but that still gives those paragons of good customer service, the Big 6, greater control over you than I would be happy with. I assume a dumbed down meter could still be used for remote disconnection and forced tariff switching. Best off without them completely.

GingerBob_3

sacsquacco wrote: »

Yes, the Mail estimated 200,000 in the UK, and judging how many are reported in my local newspaper this week they are under estimating.

Those figures really do seem extreme. I just don't buy 200,000. I think "estimate" is the key word here.

Buzby

Be_Happy wrote: »

My concern will only affect a few people, but our meter is one of the old Scottish 'white meter' type. We get 8.5 hours off peak. I've heard that smart meters will allow the companies to standardise timings, so we may lose 1.5 off peak hours.

You are SUPPOSED to get 8.5 hrs Off Peak - in Scotland it is branded White Meter (not Economy 7). Also, I do not have a Smart Meter, but a boring analogue one, BUT I have a RadioSwitch instead of a time clock. This takes a BBC R2 signal to sync and update switching if required so the clock change has no issues my OP runs from 00:00:00 to 08:30:00 daily winter and summer.